Sunday, July 26, 2015

blue bowl blog

Rachael Ray Cucina Dinnerware Stoneware Cereal Bowl, 5-1/2-Inch, Agave Blue

blue bowlsI am really Really REALLY enjoying my single solitary bowl, and would enjoy creating a bowl set for myself with two each of the Agave Blue amazon vine sent, Almond Cream, and Cranberry Red. At 5.5 inches in diameter they're a tiny bit smaller and a little more compact that the quite similar gray-blue Scandinavian-tinged Ikea Dinera 6-inch bowls I've been using, and because of its slightly concave rim, the shape hugs the contents a little more than the Ikea bowl does. But the Ikea bowls that also come in creamy "beige" cost only $10 for a 4-pack and last time I looked, Amazon charges $5.99 plus shipping for only one of these bowls! Rachael Ray is the cool type of celebrity I actual enjoy and can relate to, but no one could be famously renowned enough for products with their name to be worth more than twice as much as other similar ones. Besides, almost $60 is too high a price for a basic 16-piece set of regular dinnerware with no serving pieces, though comparing it to Montgomery Ward's $90 for the same set does make the price appear tame. Next door neighbor where I used to live mentioned she'd discovered finer, more expensive tableware "sort of bounces" (rather than breaking) when you drop it, but there's definitely a distance limit to that truth. And despite their high $$$ amount, these dishes still aren't in the category of bounce rather than break.

The blue especially is a lovely, countrified, slightly retro hue; design configuration also carries a touch of country, a hint of yesteryear. In addition to the aforementioned blue, cream, and red, these Cucina (Italian for "kitchen") Stoneware pieces come in Mushroom Brown and Pumpkin Orange. My bowl arrived well-packed with double boxes and plain brown paper encasing the bowl itself.

So far I've enjoyed a full bowl of cold cereal with berries, brown sugar, and milk, and also a lunch salad. This size would be good for cream soup, but maybe smaller than ideal for the correct sized portion of non-cream soup or stew. Perfect for an ice cream sundae with fat blackberries, hot fudge, juicy peaches, or yummy butterscotch. How about strawberry shortcake? In the complete place settings, I don't much care for the mug/cup design, and I'm neutral on the plates, but these bowls are groovy.

my amazon review: groovy but priced too high

Friday, July 10, 2015

The Princess and the Pony

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton on Amazon

princes and the pony cover princess and the pony back

Soft sweaters, not sharp swords, shields, and spears. Let's help create a less scary world, so please, make love, not war! "Cute Overload" is radical understatement to describe this kids' book by Kate Beaton. As a theologian I tend to interpret almost everything through the lenses of scripture and theology, but a friend, parent, or teacher wouldn't need to have a seriously philosophical or theological worldview to read The Princess and the Pony with the kids in their care and point out how softness, gentleness, love, and cozy sweaters lead to better outcomes than the panoply of battles and wars. Even little kids often wear too much emotional protection and armor, but maybe they can learn to risk more openness so adults just may follow. I believe sweaters are great gifts, since they add necessary warmth and coziness, and they even provide a little more to hug. Of course, you also can read and enjoy this book as a simple story with fabulous illustrations.

With pictures of the pony in a bunch of different sweater patterns and designs, the end papers are the cutest, too! The Princess and the Pony is a total winner!

my amazon review: softness, not sharpness